Weapons violation suspect mssing as guilty verdict is read
James Simon Thompson was convicted of illegally possessing a firearm Wednesday, but he wasn’t in Fayette County Court to hear that verdict read. As jurors deliberated for two and a half hours, Thompson, 46, of 20 1/2 Millview St., Uniontown, apparently left the courthouse. By the time jurors reached a verdict at 4 p.m., his attorney, Jeffrey Proden, said he couldn’t be located.
“He had specific instructions not to leave. I called his residence with no response,” Proden told Judge John F. Wagner Jr.
Wagner commented that this was Thompson’s third disappearance from trial during the day’s court session. In one instance, jurors heard testimony without Thompson in the courtroom.
Wagner took the verdict in Thompson’s absence and then issued a bench warrant for his arrest. The jurist also forfeited Thompson’s $1,000 bond.
“I’m sure the (police) will have no problem locating him and place him in our hotel, where he can stay until he is sentenced,” said Wagner, referring to the county’s lock-up.
The panel convicted Thompson of firearms not to be carried without a license and persons not to possess firearms. The latter charged was lodged against Thompson because he has a felony criminal record that precludes him from being able to possess firearms.
Uniontown police Detective Phillip W. Jones charged Thompson last July 3 after police were called to Millview Street for a report of a man with a gun. They saw Thompson drop a bullet to the ground, according to the arrest warrant, and watched him reach toward his waistband.
Police ordered him to show his hands, and found a gun.
Proden argued that Thompson had the gun because he had just taken it from Edith McLee Mitchell, who testified she intended to use the weapon to kill herself.
Assistant District Attorney Phyllis A. Jin represented the commonwealth.
Although jurors only heard the two gun possession charges, several other charges were lodged against Thompson after the initial incident.
Police said Mitchell told them in July 2001 that Thompson had tried to sexually assault a 14-year-old girl by using the gun he had as leverage. When the girl refused, he fired shots out the window, according to the original affidavit.
The girl told Mitchell, who confronted Thompson, according to the arrest warrant. At that point, Thompson allegedly threatened to kill Mitchell and the girl.
Charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats, indecent exposure and corruption of minors were dropped at the preliminary hearing level because Mitchell and 14-year-old said they could not remember what happened.
Although prosecutors opted not to charge him, Thompson was responsible for a Dec. 29 shooting that took the life of Charles “Cha Cha” Lendell.
Lendell, along with David “Taboo” Sims and Antonio Lanko, allegedly broke into apartment 104 in the Lemon Wood Acres housing project, intending to rob those inside. During the course of the alleged robbery, Thompson shot and killed Lendell.
Police alleged that Lendell, Sims and Lanko had at least one weapon amongst them, and in the days following the shooting, District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon announced that Thompson would not be charged because he was acting in self-defense.
Sims and Lanko were charged.
Police alleged that the robbery in which Lanko and Sims participated was the catalyst for Lendell’s death. Each man was charged with criminal homicide and other related charges.
At a recent preliminary hearing, the homicide charge was withdrawn against Lanko in exchange for his testimony against Sims.